220-1102 Operational Procedures Practice Question
According to change management best practices, what is the primary purpose of a backout plan?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse the backout plan with the change request's approval or scheduling details, but the exam specifically tests that the backout plan is solely about the technical rollback procedure, not administrative or timing aspects.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
To document the steps to revert a change if it causes problems
The primary purpose of a backout plan in change management is to document the specific, step-by-step procedures required to revert a change to its previous state if the change fails or causes unexpected issues. This ensures that the system can be restored quickly and safely, minimizing downtime and impact on operations. Without a predefined backout plan, administrators risk data loss, extended outages, or configuration drift when attempting to undo changes under pressure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
To document the steps to revert a change if it causes problems
Why this is correct
A backout plan is a contingency runbook that details the precise, step-by-step actions required to restore a system, configuration, or data to its previous known-good state if a change fails or introduces instability. This documentation is critical for minimizing downtime and ensuring that IT staff can reverse the change quickly and safely without improvisation. It is a core requirement of the change management process, distinct from the change request form or implementation schedule.
- ✗
To list all stakeholders who approved the change
Why it's wrong here
Listing stakeholders who approved the change is part of the approval and authorization workflow, which is recorded in the change request form or a separate approval log, not in the backout plan. Approvers provide governance and accountability, but their names have no operational value for restoring service after a failed change. The backout plan focuses on technical recovery actions rather than documenting the human decision chain, which is already captured elsewhere in the change management process.
- ✗
To schedule the change during off-hours
Why it's wrong here
Scheduling a change during off-hours is an implementation tactic used to reduce user impact and is specified in the change implementation plan, not the backout plan. The backout plan is a predefined set of remedial procedures to execute if the change fails, regardless of the scheduled window. Even when a change is performed during a maintenance window, the backout plan must exist as a separate document that tells you how to undo the change, not when to perform it.
- ✗
To test the change in a production environment
Why it's wrong here
Testing in a production environment is explicitly contrary to change management best practices; validation is performed in a staging, test, or development environment to avoid introducing risk to live systems. The backout plan is not a test script or quality-assurance procedure; it is a contingency measure invoked only after a change has already been deployed and is causing problems. Attempting to use production for testing exposes end users to unnecessary danger and does not fulfill the requirement to have a reversible rollback strategy.
Go deeper
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Key term
Change management
Change management is the structured process of planning, approving, implementing, and reviewing changes to IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.
Key term
Configuration drift
Configuration drift is the gradual, unplanned change in a system's configuration settings over time, causing it to deviate from its original or desired state.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on 220-1102
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. A technician is about to perform a firmware update on a critical server after receiving approval from the change advisory board. The technician has downloaded the correct firmware from the vendor and verified the hash. During the maintenance window, the technician begins the update but the server becomes unresponsive after the flash process starts. Which of the following documentation should the technician have prepared BEFORE the update?
medium- A.An updated network topology diagram
- ✓ B.A rollback plan and backup of current firmware
- C.A list of all users who access the server
- D.An updated asset inventory record
Why B: A rollback plan and backup of current firmware are essential before any firmware update on a critical server. If the update fails or causes the server to become unresponsive, the technician can restore the previous firmware version to minimize downtime and data loss. This aligns with the change management process, which requires a backout plan for high-risk changes.
JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This 220-1102 practice question is part of Courseiva's free CompTIA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 220-1102 exam.